Vial opener



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United States Patent O 3,186,615 VIAL OPENER Albert Smith, 27716 Havana Ave., Hayward, Calif. Filed Nov. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 323,329 8 Claims. (Cl. 22S-103) The present invention relates to a device for opening sealed glass containers. More specifically, the invention relates to opening sealed vials. Even more specically, the invention relates to opening sealed glass vials having a thin walled bulb portion and a thick walled tubular stem portion.

Vials of the foregoing type are used as specialized chemical containers. Utilization of such vials in the lyophilizing or freezing-drying of microorganisms exemplies a particular specialized use of such vials.

Freeze-drying is a fast expanding technique which has many beneficial advantages. One such advantage lies in the preservation of microorganisms in an inert state for long periods of time with only slight loss, if any, of the microbial activity of the organism. Basically, the process involves the simultaneous application of controlled temperature and pressure conditions. With specific reference to the use of lyophilizing vials, that process will now be described in more detail.

A lyophilizing vial is a glass tube which has been blown into a bulb at one end. The bulb can be blown into various sizes. As the bulb size is increased the wall thickness of the bulb decreases. The stern portion remains of original thickness. For this reason, the bulbportion is much more delicate than the stern portion. A typical tube having an outside diameter of `l() mm. has a 2 mm. wall. The stern portion is typically 100 mm. in length. In the lyophilizing process, a solution of the material to be preserved is deposited into a lyopholizing vial, usually filling the bulb of thev vial to about one half its capacity. The bulb portion is next dipped into a liquid freezing solution and the stem twir-led between the lingers, thereby quickly freezing the material into a shell around the inside ofthe bulb. When freezing is complete, the vial is immediately placed on a vacuum apparatus. When complete dehydration of the material has taken place, and it is in the form of a solid, usually a powder, the lyopholizing process is complete. The vial is now sealed, while still under vacuum, in the following manner:

Flame from a torch is applied to the upper portion of the stern, away from the bulb, as close to the vacuum yapparatus as possible, and the stem is melted at this point. This seals the vial under a partial vacuum, leaving the stem from thirty m-m. to seventy mm. long, with a small tip protruding where the melting of the stem took place. l

' The re-opening of those vials is a dangerous and dinicult procedure as it is accomplished as follows:

A le cut is made on the stern of the vial, and the stem broken at the iile cut, using the fingers and thumbs as levers. T-he vial is usually Wrapped in toweling before the stem is broken, but duc to the great pressure needed to break the thick stem, and ythe unavoidable contact with the thin shelled bulb, this proves to .be inadequate pro- -tection, and badly cut hands have resulted. The cuts are doubly dangerous because of direct exposure to any numero-us toxic microorganisms normally stored in the After the stem is broken, the contents of the vial are rehydrated with a suitable material and used immediately for whatever purpose intended.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforernentioned disadvantages by providing a device for safely and eiciently opening glass vials. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device essentially `free from contamination. v

3,186,515 Patented June 1,1965

ICC

achieved according to the present invention which provides a device for holding a sealed Vial and hammer means to cleanly break a stem thereof under sterile conditions. In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment is illustrated, Y

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, in section taken along the lines I-I of FIGURE 2, of a device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation, in section takenalong the lines II-II of FIGURE 1, of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGUR-E 3 is a front eleva-tion ofthe device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sec-tional View of a portion of the front outer wall of the device of FIGURE 1; and FIGURE 5 is a side view of an eccentric hammer member shown mounted in the device shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, a housing, generally designated as l, comprises v front wall 2, rear Wall 3, side walls 4, top Wall 5 and base '6. A slanted portion 7 joins front Wall 2 and top wall S. A container 8 having Wall 9 and bottom 10 is inserted inside housing 1 such that rear wall 11 forms the lower portion of the rear housing wall. A sterilizing solution, such as benzalkonium chloride in Water, is present in container 8. Benzalkonium chloride is a mixture of alkyldirnethylbenzylamrnoniurn chlorides well known as a gerniicide. Sterilizing liquids are well known in the art per se, and any and all of the solutions are useful in the present invention. The container 8 may be of any suitable material resistant to attack by the sterilizing solution employed. The container has a handle 12 and is removable from the housing by merely pulling the container rearward. A latch and/or seal .can be provided to secure the container within the housing and form a tight enclosure.

'Ihe construction of the housing 2 may be of any suitable rigid material including transparent plastic such as Lucite or Plexiglas, registered trademarks for polymet-hyl methacrylate. Screws or other fasteners and/ or adhesives may be used to join the Vwalls etc., of housing 2. In the event that housing 2 is fabricated from metal, brazing or welding techniques may be employed in fabrication.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE. 4, front Wall 2 has an aperture there-in defined by edge 13. This aperture delines an inclined passageway, best seen in FIGURE 1, through front wall 2. A vial 14 of the type used in the aforementioned freeze-drying process, is depicted inserted through passageway in FIGURE 1. As shown therein, the vial has a bulb portion 15 and a stem portion 16.

The passageway is of a size larger than vials to be opened, and :a rigid annular adaptor =17 is utilized to engage the surface of the passageway and the outside wall of stem 16. As can be seen in FIGURE 4, adaptor 17 is keyed at 18 to prevent rotation in the passageway. The adaptor is slotted at 19 to permit entry of tip portion 211 of a vial stem. Tip portion 2d results from the ame sealing step aforementioned.

A retaining member 18 is rotatably secured to front wall 2 and has a cup-shaped portion registrable with the Ihole defined by edge 13 to engage the bulb portion of a vial and thus hold the vial firmly in place for the opening operation. The cup-shaped clamp has an oversized cup lined with a soft material and is thus adaptable to various bulb sizes. Various other retaining means,

such as spring biased members, can be utilized for this l function.

A hammer member Z1 is rotatably mounted on shafts Z2 Within housing 2. The hammer is a heavy eccentric cam having a hollow central portion 23 to permit'the full insertion of long vial stems within the housing. This a feature is most clearly shown in FIGURE ly wherein stem 16 is shown in dashed lines where insidethe center of hollow portion of hammer 2. Shafts 22 are lshown t secured to hammer 21 .by screw threads, but may Vbe securedY in any convenient manner. The shafts are journaled through side walls 4. Any bearing arrangement, such asV bushings, can be employed to assure free rotation of shafts 22. To turn the shafts 22,'and cause ro- Y tation of hammer member 2, a hand wheel 24 is seincluding experimental determination of contamination-V free operation, is as follows: Y

Pure cultures of two separate organisms, chosen because of their vastly different colonial morphology` asl seen on. a nutrient agar plate were prepared. Twelve hour broth cultures were used. Each culture was distributed in l ml. amounts into lyophilizing vials having a 5 ml. bulb capacity. The twenty vials thus prepared were then lyophilized completely according to the aforementioned process. The present device was thoroughly cleaned with a 1:1000 aqueous benzalkonium chloride solution.' A swab of the inside of the apparatus was streaked onto nutrient agarto provide a control for determining comparative sterility. After incubation for 24 hours at 37 C., this plate showed no growth.

The twenty bulbs prepared-were then opened with the present device. Using a first vial from one of the Vtwo cultures, the stem was inserted through an adaptor keyed in the passageway and having an inside diameter only slightly larger than the outside diameter of the vial stem. The cup-shaped retaining clamp was then swung into position to firmly hold the vial in the position shown in .FIG- URE l. Hammer member 2l was rotated rearwards, out of the way of the vial stem during insertion. Conveniently, a stop of any suitable design can be employed to arrest the rearward motion of hammer 21 such that-it remains locked in the upright position during vial insertion. Alternatively, the hammer may merely rest against rear wall 3 or a projection thereon. If thevwalls of the device are opaque, handle 24 may be marked to shoW- hammerposition. Thev adaptor is chosen accordingto the vial stem size. Thus, with one device and a suitable range Kof adaptor sizes, any vial can be opened by the present device.V Y

Because the passageway is inclined to the horizontal, the vial is Vlikewise inclined. This prevents spillage ofV the vial contents.

To facilitate breakage, vial stem 16 should be scored as by a le. The vial is scored at a position such that the score isY just inside the front wall 2.

Hammer member 21 isof a heavy rigid construction such as of stainless steel. Once the vial wasfinserted, hand pressure on wheel 24 causes hammer Zito strike vial stem 16. A slight constant pressure is exerted Vony the stem by the hammer, as the vial breaks clean at the score mark. The upper portion of the stem falls into sterilizing container 8. To ensure elimination of cross contamination, the. container may be filled such that the. hammer may be dipped into the -sterilizing solution, although this feature is not necessary as shown by the Va repeated for each ofthe remaining eighteen bulbs, alternating Veach time between cultures. No `cross contamination orV contamination of the device was indicated after 24 hours incubation at 37 C.

Hammer member 21 ispositionedsuch that a peripheral edge thereof passes in close proximity to front wall Y 4 at the inner end of the passageway. Byr this feature, the stem is caused to be struck closeV to the position supported by` adaptor 17.

I claim: Y Y

1. A device for opening sealedglass Ycontainers having a tubular stem por-tioncomprising a .housing having a stationary supporting member includingan aperture therein defining a passageway inclinedat an angle to the horizontal,a rigid annulary adaptormember releasably secured within said aperture, rotatable hammerl means mounted within said housing and rotatable about an aXis parallel to the diameter of said aperture such that the free end thereof passes Vin close proximity to thehole defined by the inner end of said adaptor to strike a stem portion of a -glasscontainer protruding through said hole and Vintotrsaid housing, and means to rotate said hammer means.

2. A device for opening sealed vials comprising a housing having front wall and twoV side walls, said front wall including an aperture dening a passageway inclined at an angle to the horizontal, a rigid annular adap-tor member releasably secured in said aperture,` anA eccentric massive hammer member secured to shaft means rotatable yaboutan axis parallel to said front wall, said shaft means being positioned such that the remote end of said eccentric hammer member is rotatable into closeproximity with the opening defined by the inner end of said adaptor to strike a stem portion `of a vial protruding -through said hole and into said housing, and means to rotate said eccentric hammer member.

3. A device for opening sealed glass,l containers having a tubular stem portion comprising a housing having a stationary supporting member including an aperture therein defining a passageway inclinedatan angle to the horizontal, rotatable hammer means .mounted within `said to a holey defined by the inner, end of said aperture, meansk torotate said hammer means, and meansto supply a sterilizing liquid to said hammer means.V

4. A device as claimed in claim` 3 wherein Vsaid means to supply sterilizing liquid to saidhammer means cornn prises a container for sterilizing liquidl disposed such that at least a portion of said rhammer means is rotatable thereinto. t

5. A devicel for opening Yglass vials having a straighty walledtubular stem portion comprising a housing having a vertical front wall and two vertical side walls,said front wall including `an aperture therein defining a pas- 'sageway inclined at an angle to the horizontal, a rigid annular yadaptor releasably secured Within Said aperture,

present experimental results.' The opened vial was then, f

swabbed and an agar plateprepared. After the specified f These steps of check# incubation, no growth was evident. ing each specimen and the inside of the housingwere It was then` vaneccentric hammer member mounted within the housing by shaft means,` said shaft means comprising two separate shafts each mounted foi-rotation.' in a side wall V along a common horizontal axis? parallelto said front lWall, said eccentric hammer `member rotatable within -said housing such that a peripheral portion thereofk passes in close proximity to the hole defined by the inner end of said adaptor and having a hollow middle portion lcapable of admitting therstem end of a vial inserted through said adaptor, means to rotate said hammer member and container means for holding sterilizing liquid removably mounted within said housing and insertable therein into a position such-that at least a portion, of said hammer member is rotatable thereinto. Y

6. A device as claimed ,in claim 5 including clamp means to releasably secure a vial stem within said aperture.

- 6 7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said clamp References Cited bythe Examiner means comprises a cup-shaped member mounted for ro- UNITED STATES PATENTS tation about an axis transverse to said front Wall. Y 2,362,115 11/44 Cline 225 96'5 8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said adaptor 2,494,674 1/50` Smith et aL 225 965 defines a slot in the inner wall thereof and is keyed with- 5 2,655,767 10/53 Wenn/er 22S-96.5

m Said apeftufe- ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. DEVICE FOR OPENING SEALED GLASS CONTAINERS HAVING A TUBULAR STEM PORTION COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A STATIONARY SUPPORTING MEMBER INCLUDING AN APERTURE THEREIN DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY INCLINED AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL, A RIGID ANNULAR ADAPTOR MEMBER RELEASABLY SECURED WITHIN SAID APERTURE, ROTATABLE HAMMER MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE DIAMETER OF SAID APERTURE SUCH THAT THE FREE END THEREOF PASSES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE HOLE DEFINED BY THE INNER END OF SAID ADAPTOR TO STRIKE A STEM PORTION OF A GLASS CONTAINER PROTRUDING THROUGH SAID HOLE AND 